Kettering University

Eaton Corporation came to MIKA Systems, requesting a newly designed way to manage their purchased and leased assets. After thorough requirements gathering with employees that currently manage assets, a system design was created and implemented. The system is currently being used by Eaton to manage assets.

Over several years, the Bendix Reliability Department has been collecting data from a number of vehicles in the field, to ensure our product operates as expected. To that end, a Data Acquisition (DAQ) system known as Corsa was installed on these vehicles to monitor all relevant sources of information. The Corsa system is prohibitively expensive, however, and so the number of vehicles it can be implemented on is limited. The Cubloc Data Acquisition system was developed in answer to this. Using the same inputs, relevant data can be collected at a small fraction of the cost. This report examines the construction and implementation of the Cubloc system, as well as a cost analysis.

Extruded Metals Inc. was purchased by Mueller Industries on February 28th 2007. To simplify management of the two brass rod mills, the information systems at the Belding plant are being moved onto the servers at the Port Huron plant. The Belding plant is currently automated, the finish lines feed directly into the bundling machine. The Belding AS400 is running a scheduling program that sends the current part from the finish machines to the bundling machines. When a bundle is produced, the information is sent back to the AS400, and the MRP package running on it. In switching to the Port Huron system, extra bundle information is required. The Port Huron system keeps track of their bundles by Work Order number, where as the Belding system keeps track of bundles by the Part Number. To keep the process automated, the extra bundle information needs to be sent to the bundling machines, and then from the bundling machines to QAD. Keeping the process automated cuts down on the number of workers needed, and on errors produced. Finishing is a bottle neck in the plant. When the bundling machine goes down, there is a backwards chain reaction taking the rest of the plant down. Taking away the automation at this point in the plant is not an option due to slowing down the process. The current applications at the bundling machines are written in Visual Basic 6. They will still be fed from the AS400 scheduling program. The applications interface with a Programmable Logic Controller that controls an overhead crane, several troughs, scales, and conveyors. Interfacing with the PLC will not need to be changed. The revisions required will be to format the data differently, send it to QAD, log the data, and print different tags.

An issue of software validation at Omron Automotive is the amount of time required to complete validation periods. Validation periods require a full system test of the software release. The Tire Pressure Monitoring System validation testing requires the most amount of time, which leads to missed deadlines when completing validation periods. Designing and implementing an application to reduce the time required for validation testing would help to solve the problem. Once completed, using the Automated Software Validation Testing Suite, validation periods are reduced by several person-days of testing. This reduction will allow validation to complete within the deadlines.

This Thesis accounts for improved reliability and increased security by addressing Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks with a focus on image hacks. The thesis outlines the research taken place, the results found, and the design of a filter to help protect against such attacks.

This project delivered a bi-directional synchronization between the Calendar Module of Plex Online (POL) and the Microsoft Exchange Servers of Plex Systems, Inc. This is accomplished through a back-end process that migrates data periodically between the servers. This technique requires no additional action by the user and provides a seamless integration. This synchronization was also designed to be an optional feature that companies can enable at their desire. Furthermore, individual users within the company can configure user level settings or remove their account from synchronization completely. The synchronization program was written in Microsoft C#.net and runs on a dedicated job server. The data from the Exchange Server is accessed through the use of Exchange Web Services while the POL data is acquired through SQL Server Stored Procedures.

Movimento, Inc., an automotive diagnostics company out of Plymouth, Michigan, does not currently have any method to allow simple customization of one of its primary products by non-programmers. Most of Movimento?s customers are not programmers themselves and do not have the time to invest in learning, but they still need quick and easy customization of the operational scripts that drive their automated automotive reprogramming campaigns. To tackle this problem, a .NET library was developed to allow easy, multiple skill-level customization of these programs by non-programmers. This three-tiered approach, once implemented into a user-friendly front-end by Movimento, will solve this problem.

This thesis details research done to demonstrate the potential of Grid Computing to solve large scale business problems. It provides a comparison of current frameworks and demonstrates why the Alchemi Framework is a good solution for small companies that primarily utilize .NET applications. It describes in detail the process used and each step taken to develop a proof of concept using the Alchemi Framework. This proof of concept demonstrates the potential of Alchemi and Grid Computing as a whole in a business environment. The thesis proposes several improvements to this proof of concept to be considered in future development. These improvements will further strengthen the legitimacy of the proof of concept as a functional system.

The Shiawassee County Health Department required a new method of creating and maintaining budget data. This document outlines the design and implementation of a Microsoft Access database to fulfill the needs of The Shiawassee County Health Department. It includes a detailed explanation of the model used, design technique, implementation procedures. Included in the appendices are screenshots of the old and new systems, the design document, and the source code.

1. What are the objectives of the project? The project will be to design and implement an extension of an already existing database for remote/field sewage and well inspections. This database will effectively be used to simplify work done by our Environmental Health officers as well as transfer data between the field notebooks and a master Access Database with little user input needed. The project consists of researching the best solution for creating the database as well as the transfer process. It will also require writing custom software based on Tablet (pen-based) PCs for user input. 2. What is the background of the project? Provide enough background so the Faculty Advisor can understand the scope of the project and how it fits in the employer's workplace. This database is an extension of an existing database. This project will allow our field workers in Environmental Health to complete their sewage and well inspections in the field rather than hand writing the information and then entering it in the main database back in the office. It will also incorporate some new features including GPS plots for sewage beds and soil type, along with digital drawings of the inspection. All work will be done on Tablet PCs. The GPS plots and drawings will eventually be mapped onto a GIS map of the county giving soil types and levels. 3. What are the end results desired from the work? How will you know when the project is complete? A complete database for storing and transferring field inspections to and from a master database, this project should remove all need for double data entry, as well as being able to handle mass data transfer without corruption. 4. By what criteria will your work be evaluated and validated? For example, if a design or system is to be developed, will a prototype be fabricated and tested? Will a simulation technique be utilized? Will you prepare a set of detailed specifications and system descriptions? Basically, by what criteria will the final result(s) be judged and how will you know if the project is successful? The final goal of the project is speed and reliability. When the project is complete and there are no errors in the data transfer as well as a similar interface to what the users are accustomed to, the project will be a success. The project will be complete when the Environmental Health Inspectors are out in the field using it daily.

In an effort to expand ePrize's large platform offerings for future client work and to meet the requirements for a current large loyalty platform for a client, ePrize's large platform developers needed to develop an application in the Toybox platform that could function as a message board. The purpose of this application is allow further immersion of users of loyalty platforms and to enhance brand loyalty for clients by allowing users to interact with agents of the brand and with each other. The public nature of such a message board, the association of the content of the message board with the brand name and the environment on which the message board needed to run all presented major challenges for such an application.

Frankenmuth Insurance (FI)'s network devices are currently administered by one knowledgable employee. FI would like to create varying levels of access for different employees so that the administration can be offloaded to more employees. The new security roles and training corrected the problem by utilizing Shell Command Authoriation Sets and CiscoWorks Lan Management Solution. The solution also satisfied Payment Card Industry security standards.

This thesis presents document recommendation through a new clustering technique called Supervised Bisecting K-Means. Clustering is generally an unsupervised task. This project uses labeled data during the clustering process in an attempt to improve the clusters and the classification of new documents. A recommendation algorithm using the produced clusters showed advantages of using a recommendation system to improve user experience.

Ajl rules is a product developed by Ajlsoft, using the .NET runtime environment to allow users to develop procedural rules as series of steps. In order to allow certain logic to be expressed in a more succinct matter and to enable more reuse of this logic, it has been determined that it is necessary to incorporate a declarative logic programming engine into Ajlrules. Existing declarative logic programming languages, including Prolog and Datalog, were examined while taking into consideration expressibility and ease of use. It was determined that a solution based on the Datalog language with the addition of functional constraints would fulfill the requirements. The logic engine was then designed and implemented in C#.

The Environmental Data Exchange (enDx), a web application used by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), is used by the regulated community to submit permit applications and file inspection reports. In 2004, the contract with the Atlanta consulting firm that wrote enDx was allowed to expire. The expiration of the contract allowed the source code of enDx to be maintained by MDEQ. Recently, new functionality was requested in enDx to handle waste tire permitting. Before adding the new functionality, enDx had to be properly documented and brought up to internal code standards. This thesis details the steps of bringing enDx up to current code standards.

This thesis lays out the design and implementation of a unified method to move SQL schema scripts from a development server to a production server. The method includes a mechanism to test changes, log metrics on the execution of changes, and generate a report of changes.

A prototype for an access control device which is capable of being implemented on current and future feeder systems was designed in order to prevent a floor operator from accidentally filling a feeder with the wrong type of fastener, which could lead to downtime. The prototype system meets all of the requirements outlined below: i. The system contains a feeder lock controller which governs access to a feeder door ii. The system contains a method for configuring the feeder lock device via PC software iii. The system contains a method for configuring the feeder lock device via barcode flashcards

This Thesis reviews the methods and outcomes of an attempt to take an old MS-DOS application and convert it to a modern web application. The MS-DOS program, used to manage trains and packages, was no longer supported and required a modern replacement. The Thesis starts by listing the background and criteria of the overall project. Then it focuses on the human aspect of creating a program: first, the research and study done into the current process and use of the application to replace; second, the creation of requirements by which to judge the replacement application and how certain decisions were made. From there, it looks at the database design and schema, discussing standards in database and column naming and data collection while attempting to keep the database in Third Normal Form. Afterward, it discusses the back-end code done in ASP, how that code was structured, and what roadblocks were encountered. Then it described the front-end data management, using AJAX and XML to allow users to access data quickly though a web interface which is normally slow. Following that it analyzes the front-end visual design and the use of CSS in attempt to recreate the interface of the original application while keeping in mind cross-system compatibility. Next, it looks at the final state of the project and the main complications surrounding the requirements that caused the project to halt. Finally, the conclusions and recommendations discuss how the departments in question should proceed, as well as giving advice for any future attempts of a replacement.

The current Project Request System (PRS) is an electronic system that allows users throughout the company to request changes to production source code or data. This system replaced a paper workflow process, and was designed to exactly copy the paper forms. This resulted in a poorly thought out database, as well as a web interface that does not always work correctly. If implemented, a redesigned PRS would fix the database issues and software bugs while providing increased functionality.

Approximate color perception and the semantic gap complicate contrast detection in digital images. An image classification tool is created to summarize contrast statistics for such images. The tool comprises a compact and manageable solution that generates contrast statistics. If wider image content and multiple color systems are considered, the tool could create more accurate contrast statistics.

Presented in this thesis is RosePro, a dynamic mass marketing processor. RosePro is a software application developed in Microsoft Access. The purpose of RosePro is to give Roseville Chrysler Jeep control of many marketing aspects. The program connects to a remote database via ODBC. DCMS, a dealership customer management system, has a database from which RosePro connects to. Rosepro then gives the ability to create marketing documents using a variety of customer and vehicle fields. The program replaces an existing manual system reducing the overall time to complete a task substantially. RosePro is completely dependent on DCMS. The use of RosePro has created new uses of the customer database for Roseville Chrysler Jeep

The creation of target tracking software for use during testing in feild units.

This thesis describes the automation of the ASM website hosted at the University of Michigan. Automation consisted of updating the site structure and creating tools for adding new paper summaries and subjects to the site. These tools allow the maintainer to supply all relevant information regarding an update on a single web form instead of manually updating multiple index files for each new paper added to the site. The thesis also includes all fully-documented source code used to create the updaters along with miscellaneous scripts used during the development of the updater. Additionally, a user's manual is included.

Digital imaging is a cost-effective alternative to storing copies of documents throughout the office. It saves office space, money spent on archiving them off-site, time spent searching for documents, and, ideally, helps to improve upon the paper-based process.

This thesis details the creation and deployment of a configurable software library and an application that makes use of the library. The library breaks the process of transmitting data, for the purpose of centralizing it, into four distinct steps. The data is selected for transport, compressed, encrypted, and transported. The software library allows programmers great flexability in using the current functionality and in adding their own improvements in the future. Each phase of processing is modular and through the use of interfaces and abstract constructors, new modules can be used from old software using the library. This system is used by UPS to centralize the dimensional information of roughly 12 million packages per day spread over 57 sites nationally.

The thesis is a billing application written in Microsoft DotNet version 1.1 and Microsoft SQL server 2000. It consolidates several applications the Rapid Prototyping department used into one application. The application allows the department to track all of their resources and do month end billing in a timely fashion.

Open source components and some custom code come together to create an instant message solution for Kettering University that avoids these proprietary networks. This same solution places the university on the global, standards-based jabber (XMPP) network, and provides for the security and features needed by an academic institution or an enterprise environment. GNU Free Documentation License

The software and controls team at General Motors uses Rhapsody, a UML modeling and code generation tool to design and test its Body Core Algorithms. Since Rhapsody uses its own proprietary code generation rules, the simulation does not match what will run on the target. GM maintains its own rule set for code generation in a program called Model-In-Action (MIA) and generates the actual target code from this rule set. This project enables the generation of GM's production-intent code earlier in the software process during the algorithm model development phase. The result is a simulation capable of catching errors that would not otherwise be found until later in the development phase.

The current means of registration for the PEO GCS e-Business Portal is incapable of handling the intended user base. A new system that will meet proper security procedures and performance capabilities is feasible using the existing Portal database and application servers. If coded web forms were places on these servers, all requested data could be stored, accessed, and updated by only the intended groups.

The current data network scheme for Quality Industrial Services, Inc. is insufficient to sustain its current rate of growth. By implementing a virtual private network scheme, the network could be made to be more reliable and could support significantly more growth than is currently feasible. This would require little network downtime and nominal hardware investment, and would give a greater deal of control for the entire network, potentially reducing the cost of network maintenance.

Inconsistency in project success has limited profits and customer satisfaction. Software development process break downs have caused inconsistent process outcomes. Defining and adopting a software engineering policy will reduce or eliminate process break downs. Reviews will ensure maturity level 3 is maintained and provide process improvement.

Our software company lacks any product that can be sold in the fast-growing web application market. Developing an entry-level web application similar to the current, aging entry-level software will not only fill the need for a product in a growing market, but also allow us to market an updated entry-level application.

Software application design is shifting from desktop computers to web browsers. As a relatively new way of developing applications, major software companies such as Microsoft and Sun Microsystems as well as the open source community are developing methods to accomplish this task. AB Software Solutions, whose primary business function is to develop custom software applications is faced with the question of what software development package to select and how to implement software solutions in it. This thesis provides relevant research finding on currently available web application development packages and what package best fits AB Software Solutions design needs.

Time for user change management in a rapidly growing network environment has increased to a difficult to manage point. This necessitated the creation of a single account database. The design and implementation of a single sign-on system using Microsoft Active Directory with Kerberos V is covered.

The Genesee County Road Commission has been doing Purchase Requisition in paper and pen format to do the necessary purchases for some time. For the agency, this method of purchasing process is very inefficient in terms of time and cost due to physical paper transfer, and there is always a possibility for a person to make a mistake due to bad handwriting or incomplete information. The old method of purchasing also has problems with redundant data entry during a purchasing process. A new Intranet based GCRC Purchase Requisition System was developed and brought online and is under testing phase. This new Purchase Requisition System is proving to be a beneficial to the agency because access link to forms can now be transferred between employees in an instant with the GCRC email system. Also old purchase forms can be stored in an organized manner in electronic form in the central database and can easily be searched and extracted using system features. The system is performing well and as expected and some of the employee who does purchasing has seen the prototype system and were satisfied. After the Purchase Requisition process is complete, there is a Purchase Order process that comes afterwards and the electronic module for this phase is currently under development by Precision Computer Solutions, Inc. In the future, the developer recommends connecting the GCRC Requisition database and the Purchasing Purchase Order database or at least find a way to transfer data to the Purchase Order database from the Purchase Requisition database.